An Outsider's Perspective
by twilightstargazer
Summary: Sirius Black prided himself on the fact that he was exceptionally good at reading people, especially when it comes to Lily and James. But sometimes, that might just drive a man a bit mad. L/J Fluff.


**_A/N: I've been in a bit off a writing rut so, of course, I turned to the people of tumblr to send me prompts. This one is from potterheadsherlockvian who wanted to see Lily and James' relationship through Sirius' eyes. It's short and has less than no dialogue whatsoever._**

**_Hope you guys like it!_**

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_**An Outsider's Perspective**_

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Sirius Black was a person that one might refer to as a jack of all trades. He excelled in his classes, could play a mean game of quidditch despite choosing to not be on the house team and was of course one of the most good looking men to ever grace the ancient halls of the castle (his words). But if there was one thing Sirius prided himself on, it wouldn't be the fact that he could easily best the Slytherins at a duel with one hand tied behind his back (and believe me, he could), but on the fact that he was exceptionally good at reading people.

And two of the people he was best at reading were James and Lily.

_December of Sixth Year_

They were bickering again. The two of them stood across in a corner shrieking at each other so loud, that it could have put a banshee to shame. Lily's face was flushed and her eyes held barely contained emerald fire. She was gesticulating wildly all whilst scream at James. James was regarding her coolly and disinterestedly, as though he couldn't care less about what she was saying, but Sirius could easily detect a glint in his eyes. He loved getting her riled up, that much Sirius knew, because he said that when she was angry, she looked even more beautiful.

Sirius distinctly remembers hitting the back of his friend's head and claiming that he had fallen off a broom one too many times.

But now... he could sort of see it, though perhaps not like James did. Her eyes were a bit brighter and the blush brought a bit of colour to her cheeks, but aside from that, she looked normal. Sirius sighed as she continued yelling at his best mate. When was James going to realise that she doesn't like him and he should quit while he was ahead? And when was he going to realise that if they continued to fight like that in the common room, he wouldn't be hesitant to curse them?

As a crash echoed through the common room, Sirius had decided that he would never understand those two.

_June of Sixth Year_

Their exams had finished and the sixth years were savouring every bit of their newfound freedom, knowing full well that when they return in the fall, moments like these would be hard pressed to come by. The Marauders sat in their usual spot in front of the fire like they always do, though this time they were joined by the sixth year Gryffindor girls.

Sirius didn't have the faintest clue as to why and how, but somehow, James and Lily became friends over the course of the year and he was sure that they were closer than how they acted around their friends. She sat at his side laughing at whatever joke he told her- Lily alone was privileged enough to hear it and not anyone else in the group apparently- as everyone else sat around, chatting and munching on some of the snacks that the Marauders had smuggled in from the kitchens. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but Sirius knew that this change in dynamic would result in some serious consequences. Whether they were going to be good or bad, he didn't know. That was all up to how the two of them acted. He glanced at the pair again, and found that they had somehow shuffled even closer to each other and were locked in their own private conversation, oblivious to anyone else but the other.

It wasn't that hard for Sirius to see that his best friend only had eyes for the red head sitting at his side. And then, Sirius looked closer and what he saw made him almost fall over in shock. He watched James leant in and mutter something in Lily's ear, causing her to laugh again as the messy haired boy stared at her with a goofy grin and the same look in his eyes that scared Sirius out of his wits.

As Lily's laughter bubbled through the common room, Sirius had decided that he would never understand those two and it was probably better for his sanity that he didn't.

_December of Seventh Year_

Sirius was just about ready to rip his hair out in frustration at the couple in front of him.

Since they had back out to school, Lily and James were practically inseparable. She would sit with him and the Marauders at meal times, they had all the same classes, they patrolled together and James had actually started going to the library to study with her, something that made Sirius almost dissolve in tears. His best friend, illegal animagus, Marauder and the one who blew up Filch's office to boot, was going to the library to study instead of pull some sort of prank.

But, that wasn't what frustrated him.

No, what frustrated Sirius beyond belief was what happened during all of these times.

And what happened being nothing.

Nothing at all.

Sirius could quite clearly see the looks exchanged between the two when they thought no one was looking. The surreptitious touches and lingering glances at the other. They made up all kinds of excuse to have skin on skin contact with the other, everything from Lily fixing James' tie and then having her hand remain on his neck for quite some time after, to James gently brushing the hair out of her face before sliding his hand down to cup her jaw.

Now, all of this was quite fine and dandy in Sirius' book, except for the one little detail that infuriated him beyond belief.

They weren't together.

Yes, even after all of that and then some, those two _idiots_, who were clearly smitten with each other, still weren't together, a fact which infuriated Sirius beyond belief.

One would think that after James continuously bothered poor girl (who wanted nothing more than to push off the tower at some times, Sirius might speculate) for nearly two years, because he had a crush on her, he would jump at any chance he got once she showed the slightest bit of inclination. But that wasn't the case. No, they rather beat around the bush using excuses that were more transparent than Nearly Headless Nick.

Sirius was just about ready to shove them in a broom closet.

As James leant over towards Lily, under the pretence of reaching for a book just to brush against the inside of her wrist, Sirius had decided that he would never understand those two and even though it was probably better for his sanity that he didn't bother, he still somehow did.

_June of Seventh Year_

Fortunately, Sirius didn't have to gnash his teeth much longer, as during the Christmas break, thanks to some well placed mistletoe (courtesy the three remaining Marauders who were not love struck fools) they had finally- _finally_- gotten together.

There wasn't that much of a difference in the before and after of their relationship. The only changes that happened were that they now kissed whenever they felt like it and had to no longer resort to flaky excuses just to be with the other. Although, Sirius could contest the fact that being in the same room with both of them for any extended period of time would not drive someone insane.

It was mildly disgusting how enamoured with the other they were, but Sirius guessed that he could live with it. He had put up with James' moaning about Evans this and Evans that for a good few years. As long as he didn't have to put up with any other kinds of moaning, he'd be fine.

He watched them on the couch together, James' head nestled in her lap as he tried to divert her attention to him instead of the book. She was laughing and he was pouting petulantly, though Sirius could see the happiness shining in his eyes, even from all the way over here. He watched as James mumbled something to her again, causing Lily to smile softly and place a light kiss to his lips and it took Sirius a while to realise that all this time he had been smiling at the pair of infatuated idiots in front him.

As he watched them in their own little world, Sirius had decided that maybe he did understand them, but only just, as trying to figure out the complication that is James and Lily would most definitely drive a man insane.

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